Jefferson County, Georgia severe weather history spans 145 recorded events between 1959 and 2024. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 61.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,725 nationally and #132 in Georgia.
145
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
19
Direct injuries
$11.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Jefferson County, Georgia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Jefferson County, Georgia severe weather history averages 2.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 44 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 22 events fall before 1990 and 123 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $9.5M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Jefferson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 89 | 0 | $930K | 65 | 1961–2024 |
| Hail | 32 | 0 | $430K | 2.75 | 1959–2021 |
| Tornado | 15 | 0 | $9.5M | F3 | 1970–2023 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $236K | 0 | 1997–2011 |
| Flash Flood | 2 | 0 | $40K | 0 | 2020–2020 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $7K | 0 | 2009–2013 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2003 |
Decade by decade
Jefferson County, Georgia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
15 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 11 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-01-13 | EF3 | 0 | 21 | 33.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-03-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 22.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-04-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 14.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-04-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2009-04-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1996-03-07 | EF1 | 0 | 5 | 3.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-10-01 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1981-03-18 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1981-07-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-07-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Jefferson County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 7, 1996 | Tornado | WRENS | 0 | 5 | $1.0M |
| Jul 2, 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | WADLEY | 0 | 4 | $0 |
| Apr 28, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Oct 1, 1989 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Dec 4, 1983 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $30 | |
| Jan 13, 1972 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 27, 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 | |
| Mar 18, 1981 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia, concluded that strong straight-line winds of 60 to 70 mph up to one mile south of the EF0 tornado track across central Jefferson county caused moderate damage to structures in Louisville and minor to moderate damage to structures elsewhere along the path. A number of trees and power lines were downed as well.
The public observed tennis ball-sized hail across northern Jefferson county, especially in the Wrens area. The Huddle House restaurant on Main Street in Wrens suffered considerable damage from the large hail as a number of windows were broken.
Lightning was responsible for at least three house fires in Jefferson County. The first one was reported at approximately 1:33 am in Zebina. Lightning struck a tree and jumped to a nearby home, entering the home through electrical wiring. Several appliances were damaged and the front door was knocked off of its hinges. A second strike at 1:38 am, entered the homes attic, after having struck a nearby tree. Some of the attic's insulation caught fire. The third lightning strike occurred just before 3:00 am. The lightning struck a pecan tree at the corner of a home, then entered the house. The sole occupant was able to escape and drive for help. The house was a total loss.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
15,341
Population (ACS)
$105K
Median home value
19
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 30, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | DR |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Aug 5, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE DEBBY | EM |
| Mar 29, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Jefferson County, Georgia?
145 events are on record between 1959 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths and $11.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Jefferson County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 89 recorded events — 61.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Jefferson County?
15 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 11 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Jefferson County?
19 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Jefferson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Jefferson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jefferson County as very low risk, placing it in the 26 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Jefferson County, Georgia severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Jeff Davis County 177
- Jenkins County 157
- Jasper County 165
- Johnson County 170
- Jackson County 282
- Jones County 190
Cite this page
“Jefferson County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/jefferson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.